HMS Portland Royal Navy Luke coming home !
Luke`s (
Netto`s) first deployment, with
HMS Portland.
Arriving at
Plymouth on 15.11.10 having been at sea for almost 6 months, and having sailed half way around the world ! His elder brother
Elliot joined him for the final week and was nick named "
Jesus" & "J.C" by the crew !
I do apoligise for calling HMS Portland, "Luke`s ship" when it is in fact owned by
Her Majesty and the
Royal Navy.....I was just very excited !
Hundreds of family members and friends welcomed home HMS Portland yesterday as she returned from a successful seven-month deployment to the
South Atlantic, eastern
Pacific and
Caribbean Sea.
The Devonport-based
Type 23 frigate was deployed to the
Falkland Islands for four months as the
Atlantic Patrol Task (
South) ship and sailed over 32,
000 miles (51,500km), including circumnavigating
South America, transiting the
Magellan Straits,
Patagonian and
Panama Canals and sailing the length and breadth of the
Atlantic with two crossings of the
Equator.
HMS Portland's
Commanding Officer,
Commander Mike Knott, said:
"In a busy but extremely rewarding seven months HMS Portland has achieved a great deal, not only enhancing
peace and stability within the South Atlantic and
West African regions, but also contributing to the fight against cocaine-trafficking and narco-terrorism.
"
I am extremely proud of my ship's company which has made a positive impact everywhere we have visited and represented the
United Kingdom and Royal Navy in the finest traditions of the
Service.
"After travelling over 32,000 miles and visiting 11 countries you cannot put into words how wonderful it is for the crew to meet up again with their families who have not seen them for such a long period of time. I am always so proud of how the ship's company deals with the strain of being away from their loved ones."
HMS Portland sailed from
Devonport in April and en route to the Falkland Islands conducted a four-day defence diplomacy visit to
Rio de Janeiro in
Brazil where she hosted high-profile events such as the
UK Trade and Investment defence industry day, when lucrative contracts for
British businesses were signed, and a peace support operations conference for the British
Ambassador.
The ship's role on her deployment was to provide a maritime presence to protect the
UK's interests in the region, to reassure UK overseas territories, commonwealth countries and other friendly nations, and act as a deterrent to potential aggressors.
The ship took part in joint exercises with the
Army and
RAF and conducted visits to the settlements around the Falkland Islands, including
South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands.
Six members of the
Welsh Guards were embarked as the duty Falkland Islands infantry company which conducted foot patrols ashore.
The dramatic scenery and remote landscape will be long remembered by the ship's company as the ship encountered icebergs, glaciers, stunning mountains and fascinating local wildlife, including fur seals, elephant seals and many penguins.
On leaving the Falkland Islands, HMS Portland was honoured by a fantastic ceremonial send-off from the people and aircraft of the
Mount Pleasant Complex, the Falkland Islands' military base.
The ship then navigated the Magellan Straits and Patagonian Canals on the south west coast of
Chile on her way to
Valparaiso for Chile's 200th anniversary of independence celebrations. The event was marked by a multinational naval exercise and an international fleet review attended by
President Sebastian Pinera and the
Royal Navy's First Sea Lord,
Admiral Sir
Mark Stanhope.
On her voyage to Chile, HMS Portland carried a special cargo of three church bells originally from a church in
Santiago destroyed by fire
150 years ago but which were saved and shipped to a church in
Oystermouth,
Wales, where they had been on display until earlier this year.
HMS Portland and
RFA Black Rover shared the transport of the bells from the UK to return them to Chile and their return on this patrol was part of the country's 200th anniversary celebrations.
HMS Portland also conducted a five-day visit to
Lima in
Peru, which also included a defence industry day on behalf of UK
Trade and Industry, and a visit by
James Brokenshire MP,
Parliamentary Under Secretary for
Crime Reduction at the
Home Office, further raising the Royal Navy's profile in South America and helping to strengthen co-operation with Peru in the fight against cocaine-trafficking and associated terrorism